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It’s semi-finals weekend at the Women’s Rugby World Cup. The last four teams are within touching distance of the final, but this is also the point where the pressure is as intense as it has ever been.

Yes, these are the top four sides, the ones many expected to get this far. But that doesn’t mean the games are predictable. They won’t be easy, and they won’t be straightforward. These players are still human beings. They make mistakes. They pull off the seemingly impossible. And the fine margins will decide who plays in the game everyone wants to be in.

When you reach the semi-finals, you know there are two matches left to play. But for every player, there is only one game that matters, the final. Getting there becomes everything. The challenge is that pressure can push you forward or it can crush you.

So what will separate the teams now?

One has home advantage, and with it comes the weight of expectation. They also carry one of the most impressive winning records in the game, across competitions and across years. That history of winning builds confidence, but it also invites scrutiny. Every mistake will feel amplified in front of a home crowd.

Another has World Cup pedigree that doesn’t exist anywhere else in sport. This is the team that knows what it feels like to lift the trophy and has built an identity around delivering on the biggest stage. That kind of experience is priceless, but it can also be a burden; history can inspire, but it can also press heavily on the present.

A third is relentless. They won’t stop, they won’t ease up, and they won’t go away quietly. For them, the game is about pressure from the first minute to the last. They grind opponents down until there is nothing left to give. Playing them means knowing that you won’t get a single moment to switch off.

And then there’s the team that brings flair. Quick movement, clever offloads, and a willingness to play what they see in front of them make them unpredictable and exciting. The creativity is built on a solid platform of set-piece and forward strength and when it clicks it can turn a game in an instant. Of course, that freedom can come at a cost, leaving them exposed if the risk doesn’t come off but it’s what makes them such a dangerous side to face.

Four teams. Four different ways of approaching the game. And yet, the margins between them are smaller than ever.

At this stage, it isn’t only about skill or tactics. It’s about who can master the nerves. The semi-final stage has ended the dreams of great players and great teams because the weight of the occasion became too much. The crowd noise, the expectation, the awareness that one mistake could swing everything – it can feel suffocating. The teams that progress are the ones who can stay calm when the storm hits, who trust themselves and each other enough to ride it out.

That’s why semi-finals are often even more dramatic than finals. You don’t just see rugby ability on show, you see resilience, courage, and belief being tested to their limits.

And it’s why we’ll all be watching closely. Each of these teams has the talent to win. Each of them has the capacity to stumble. The outcome will come down to how they handle these final hurdles, who manages to channel pressure into performance, and who holds their nerve when everything is on the line.

By next weekend, we’ll know who gets to play in the game that really matters. Until then, it’s about digging deeper than ever before.

So, who are you rooting for?

Group Stages Finale

We often think of the knockout stages as where the real drama begins. Win and you stay in. Lose and you’re out. But as we head into the final weekend of the Women’s Rugby World Cup group stage, we’re reminded that for some teams, the knockout mindset has already arrived.

Take Australia and USA, for example. Having played out a thrilling draw last weekend, each team  now knows their future in this competition hangs on what happens next. For them, this weekend isn’t just about points on the table it’s about survival. The final weekend isn’t just about survival thought – even for teams already through, finishing top of the group isn’t just about pride. It sets up who they’ll face in the quarter-finals, and that can make a massive  difference for their onward progress in this World Cup.

It’s tense. It’s uncertain. And it’s enthralling

What It Teaches Us… and Our Kids

For young players, it’s easy to think only finals or trophies matter. But the truth is, every game is a chance to prove something. Sometimes you’re proving resilience, sometimes you’re proving focus, sometimes you’re proving you can keep giving your best when the stakes are high or when the game is lost and you’re only playing for pride!

That’s what these group stages show us. Even when it’s technically “not knockout yet,” for some, it really is. And that mindset, that willingness to treat every game like it matters, is something our children can carry with them.

What It Teaches Parents

For us on the sidelines, it’s a reminder, too. Not every game will be for silverware. Not every Sunday will be a cup final. But to our kids, sometimes it feels that way. The nervous energy, the build-up, the uncertainty – they’re all part of the experience.

Our role? To keep the bigger picture in sight. To remind them that whether it’s a group-stage decider, a quarter-final, or just another weekend fixture, the lessons they learn are the same: effort counts, resilience grows and the journey matters.

Bringing It Home

As the group stages wrap up and we look ahead to the quarter-finals, let’s take inspiration from the teams fighting for their place. Their determination shows us what’s possible when every moment is embraced.

And as our own season kicks off this weekend, that’s something we can bring onto our own pitches. Because while not every game is a final, every game is a chance to grow.

📖 Reflections like these run throughout Mud, Tries and Tantrums: Raising Happy Rugby Players. Written for parents who want to support their kids in rugby – not just in chasing wins, but in enjoying the whole journey.

What Building Sites Can Teach Us About Lasting Success

Introduction: The Illusion of Overnight Success

The other morning on our drive home we passed a building site we had seen countless times before. For years, it was a story of frustration; legal wrangling, planning permission rejected, appealed, rejected again, refined and eventually granted. Even then, nothing seemed to happen for months. Then all of a sudden the screen boards appeared, bulldozers moved in and the old structure was demolished. And then… silence once more.

Fast forward a few months, and almost overnight there was a three-storey structure standing proudly where the old one once was. It seemed to happen in a flash… but the truth is that moment had been years in the making.

This building site holds a powerful metaphor for success in life and work. What we often celebrate is only the visible outcome, forgetting the immense effort behind the scenes. Whether it’s a commanding performance by a sports team or the rise of a successful entrepreneur, the reality is the same: what we see is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Unseen Work Behind Visible Success

We live in a world obsessed with results. The medals, the trophies, the headlines, the social media posts – these are the moments that draw attention. But how often do we reflect on the hours of unseen practice that lead to a flawless pass on match day? Or the years of trial, error, and persistence behind a business launch that appears effortless from the outside?

In truth, nothing worthwhile happens overnight. Those top performers we admire in sport, business or the arts have invested enormous amounts of time and effort away from the spotlight. By the time they step into the light, the real work has already been done quietly, consistently and often without recognition.

Why Strong Foundations Matter

Back to that building site. We marvel at how quickly the structure went up, but the real story lies beneath the surface. Before the first brick was laid, there were months, even years of groundwork. Legal documents were signed, plans refined and agreements secured. Then, when the bulldozers finally moved in, the first thing they did wasn’t to build upwards. It was to dig down.

Why? Because the most crucial part of any building is its foundation. It doesn’t matter how glamorous the structure looks above ground. If the foundations are weak, it won’t last.

The same principle applies to our lives and careers. Yet, how often do we focus on appearances? We polish the outside, post curated moments on social media, and seek validation from people we barely know. But if the inside isn’t secure, cracks will eventually appear.

Doing the Inner Work

Building strong foundations in life means addressing what lies beneath the surface: our beliefs, habits and mindset. This isn’t always comfortable work. It often requires excavation, digging into areas we would rather ignore, like limiting beliefs or that inner critic whispering, “You’re not good enough.”

The good news? Unlike a building we are not fixed. No matter how shaky our current foundations feel we can always go back and strengthen them. This might mean reframing old patterns of thinking, challenging assumptions, or developing new habits that support resilience and growth.

Personally, I’ve been there. I know what it feels like to appear fine on the outside while struggling internally. Over time, I’ve learned that the work never really ends. There is always more to uncover, more to build on. That’s why I continue to work with a coach – someone who can see what I can’t, point out blind spots and hold up a mirror when I’m not seeing the full picture.

It’s the same reason I now help others. We all have areas where we can grow, and having the right support can make the journey quicker and far more rewarding.

Practical Ways to Strengthen Your Foundations

If this idea resonates, here are three ways to start digging into your own foundations:

1. Audit Your Beliefs – What stories are you telling yourself about success, worth, or ability? Are they serving you or holding you back? Awareness is the first step.
2. Invest in Continuous Learning – Whether through reading, coaching, or practical experience, commit to your own development. Growth compounds over time.
3. Build Your Support Network – No one achieves lasting success alone. Surround yourself with people who challenge and encourage you. A good mentor or coach can be invaluable.

Conclusion: Build What Lasts

That building we drove past didn’t just appear overnight. It was the product of years of preparation, deep digging and strong foundations. The same applies to the most meaningful success in life.

So, next time you catch yourself comparing your progress to someone else’s highlight reel, remember this: what you see is never the full story. Focus on your foundations, invest in the unseen work, and the results will take care of themselves. Because when the base is solid, what you build will not only stand tall – it will stand the test of time.

Today marks the thrilling kickoff of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.

England might be the favourites, but with that tag comes the weight of expectation. Tournament rugby brings storms – moments of chaos and pressure that test even the best. To be crowned champions of the world, they’ll need to keep calm and deliver when it matters most. They have it within them… but time will tell.

However… let’s not forget, this isn’t just about England. There is no World Cup without the other 15 teams. Yes, there’s a big gap between the top nations and the rest when it comes to experience and investment, but that doesn’t make this any less special. Every single player who takes to the pitch over the next five weeks will be wearing their nation’s pride and carrying something bigger than themselves. They’ll be inspiring young girls everywhere, those who already love rugby, and those who don’t even know the game yet.

As a dad to three rugby-playing daughters, and as someone who coaches youth girls’ rugby, I get a ringside seat to see what this game gives to girls. Confidence. Belonging. Strength. Resilience. It’s a privilege to witness how the sport shapes them, both on and off the pitch. That’s why this World Cup feels so personal. It’s more than just a tournament, it’s a movement.

We’ll be taking in four games as a family during the competition, not just the giants of the women’s game, but some of the up-and-coming nations, too. I can’t wait to feel the buzz that only a World Cup can bring with all the colour, the songs, the raw emotion and shared passion for the game!

To all those world-class athletes who will light up the stadiums over the next five weeks: good luck. Win or lose, carry yourselves with pride. Remember, every kick, every tackle, every pass, every weaving run, every try is inspiring the future of women’s rugby, and women’s sport as a whole.

This is history in the making. And I’m so grateful to be here for it.

What Trevor Noah’s Theme Park Story Taught Me About Slowing Down

I was going through my usual morning routine whilst listening to a podcast, this one featuring two of my favourite podcasters – Trevor Noah was the guest on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast. About halfway in, Trevor told a story that instantly caught my attention partly because it was so simple and partly because it carried a truth I hadn’t considered before.

He described being invited to a theme park as a special guest, with the VIP treatment that meant no queues and priority access to every ride. He and his friends raced from one attraction to the next, packing in every major ride in just a few hours. They expected to leave on a high. Instead they walked away feeling tired, slightly flat, and oddly unsatisfied.

It was only afterwards that they realised why. The moments they’d skipped; standing in line, chatting, hearing the screams from the ride ahead and building up the anticipation were part of what made theme parks so enjoyable in the first place. Without them, the day felt like a checklist rather than an experience.

That observation started me thinking about how often we approach life in the same way. We focus on the headline moments – the promotion, the holiday, the party, the big achievement – and rush to get there as quickly as possible. In doing so, we can end up stripping away the slower, quieter parts that give those high points their meaning.

Those “queue moments” in life are everywhere. They’re in the walk to meet a friend, the morning coffee before work, the casual chats at the school gate, or the time between meetings when nothing much seems to be happening. We don’t usually see them as important, yet they often hold the very connection and texture that makes life feel full.

Listening to Trevor’s story made me think about how much of our culture is designed to skip the wait. We buy faster delivery, choose express checkouts and fill every pause with a scroll through our phones. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with efficiency, but when speed becomes the default we risk missing the moments that allow us to notice, connect and anticipate.

Since that podcast, I’ve been trying something different. When I find myself in a “queue moment” whether literally in a queue at a shop or figuratively in a lull between tasks, I put the phone away, take a breath and look around. Sometimes, I strike up a conversation. Other times, I just notice what’s going on around me. It doesn’t make the ride come faster, but it does make the wait feel like part of the day rather than time lost.

Trevor’s experience was a reminder that the value of an adventure is often found in the build-up not just in the peak itself. The anticipation, the chatter and the stillness before the thrill all matter. When we rush through them, we can end up with more rides… but less of an experience.

Next time you’re in a queue, literal or otherwise, try seeing it as part of the story. Give yourself permission to slow down, notice and be present. You might find that the wait is where much of the joy actually lives.